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Rishi Sunak, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, has seen his popularity drop to its lowest ever, as a YouGov survey found 70 percent of respondents (seven in ten) say they have an unfavourable opinion of him, while only 21 percent said they view him favourably. This brings his score in at -49, down 10 points since November this year.
He has however fared better than Liz Truss’ dismal -70 percent rating during her last days in office and Boris Johnson’s -56 percent.
Also Read: ‘How did you come to the UK?’ People react to Rishi Sunak’s new immigration policy
Besides the overall low, Sunak also saw his popularity among Conservative Party voters slide to its lowest with 56 percent of respondents saying they view the PM negatively, compared to 40 percent with a positive view.
The survey was conducted after Sunak managed to pass his controversial Rwanda policy bill through the UK House of Commons this week. The PM has proposed deporting asylum seekers back to Rwanda.
Notably, though, the downward trend cuts across party lines with even opposition Labour Party candidate Keir Starmer seeing his favourability rating drop to -22 (down 9 points). Further, 54 percent of voters view the leader negatively as opposed to 32 percent with a positive opinion.
Also Read: What does Rishi Sunak’s Cabinet reshuffle mean for India?
Overall, party-wise, Labour has taken the lead with -14 points till November-end, compared to the Conservatives’ -49 points.
The situation underscores the complexities faced by Rishi Sunak as he grapples with declining public perception and internal party divisions over significant policy initiatives.
Sunak’s Immigration Policy
Sunak has unveiled what he describes as the nation’s strictest anti-illegal immigration laws. These measures aim to significantly alter the UK’s approach to immigration and asylum seekers. “Stop the boats” represents Sunak’s stance against illegal migration and his commitment to securing UK borders.
Through a social media post, Sunak emphasised the necessity of these stringent measures. He underscored the importance of parliament having control over immigration, rather than foreign courts or criminal organisations. The UK prime minister has highlighted that, while immigration is beneficial, it is imperative to end the abuse of the system and achieve sustainable levels.
This new law aims to reduce net migration by approximately 300,000. The legislation also includes specific provisions that will restrict overseas students from bringing families to the UK and prevent immigration from undermining British workers. Also, the law intends to eliminate the 20 percent salary discount offered for shortage occupations.
Also Read: Sacked UK minister Suella Braverman backs PM Rishi Sunak for next election
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Published: 14 Dec 2023, 08:48 AM IST
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